University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Baseball Monday Notebook
April 26, 2009 | Baseball
April 26, 2009
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Winners of six straight in conference play and eight of nine overall, the Diamond Heels will turn their attention to final exams this week with 46 games under their belts. At 35-11 overall and 16-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Carolina owns the most wins in the nation and sports the best record in league action with two regular season weekends to play.
In this week's polls, Carolina is ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll and by the NCBWA, No. 3 by Collegiate Baseball and No. 4 by Baseball America.
The Tar Heels, who have nine games left on the schedule, are back in action at Boshamer Stadium May 5 against Southern Conference leaders Elon and then host Longwood May 7 to make up for a game with the Lancers rained out earlier this season.
UNC has ACC series at NC State (May 8-10) and Boston College (May 14-16) left on its schedule, as well as a non-conference tilt at Charlotte May 12 to close out the regular season.
The 2009 ACC Tournament will be held in the Triangle and is slated for May 20-24 at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The ACC's automatic berth in the 2009 NCAA Baseball Championship will be on the line.
NOTING THE WEEK OF APRIL 20-26:
• Top-ranked North Carolina capped a 4-1 week with a three-game sweep of Maryland by a 25-9 margin. The Tar Heels have won six straight in conference play for the first time this season and have taken eight of nine overall entering an eight-day break for final exams.
• Sunday was Senior Day in Chapel Hill, and the three-man senior class of Garrett Gore, Mike McKee and Adam Warren won their 200th game over the past four seasons, which leads the nation over this span. The Tar Heels won an NCAA-best 165 games from 2006-08 and lead the country with 35 wins this season.
• By virtue of their sweep of Maryland and a series loss by Georgia Tech at Clemson, the Tar Heels are currently in first place in the ACC's Coastal Division and own the league's top overall record. At 16-7, Carolina owns a .696 winning percentage, while the Yellow Jackets sport a .659 mark at 14-7-1.
• With three triples last week, UNC tied a school record of 24 set in 1948 and matched last season. The Tar Heels have six players with at least three triples, including Ben Bunting and Levi Michael, who own a team-best four three-baggers.
• Mark Fleury sparked No. 1 North Carolina to a 4-1 week, including a three-game sweep of Maryland, by hitting .500 (9-18) with five runs, three home runs and 11 RBI. With three doubles, a triple and the three home runs, seven of Fleury's nine hits went for extra bases for a 1.278 slugging percentage. He had four multi-hit games, including three straight versus the Terps. After tying a career high with three hits and belting the go-ahead three-run homer in the fifth in a 7-5 win over UNC Wilmington Tuesday, Fleury hit .500 (6-12) with two doubles, a triple and two home runs in the sweep of Maryland. He went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in Friday's win, drove in four with a two-run single and a two-run triple Saturday and hit a game-tying solo home run in the sixth in a 2-for-4 effort Sunday. On the season, Fleury is batting .339 with career highs of 10 home runs and a team-high 52 RBI. He leads the Tar Heels with 29 extra-base hits on 16 doubles, 10 home runs and three triples.
• Freshman sensation Levi Michael had a big week for Carolina with a team-best .533 average (8-15) with four doubles, a triple and a home run. He scored five runs and drove in four more. Michael equaled career bests with four hits and three runs scored in the Saturday win over Maryland and drove in the game-winning runs with a two-run homer in the seventh inning Sunday - his first since April 3. Michael went 7-for-12 with five extra-base hits and four RBI in the series with the Terps. Michael owns a .314 average, 11 home runs and 42 RBI on the season.
• Dustin Ackley homered twice and drove in six runs on the week, while hitting .263 (5-19) with five runs scored. He has a team-high and career-best 13 home runs to go along with a .384 average and 40 RBI. Ackley continued his run up the Tar Heels' career record charts and is currently first in average (.405), second in hits (303), third in runs (205), seventh in doubles (51), sixth in triples (10), fifth in extra-base hits (91), ninth in RBI (165) and fifth in walks (118).
• Kyle Seager hit .368 (7-19) with a triple, a homer and three RBI. He matched his season-best hitting streak at 16 games but saw it snapped Sunday against Maryland. Seager leads Carolina with a .396 average, 72 hits and 20 doubles.
• Carolina's bullpen, which tossed eight innings in Sunday's win, logged a 0.48 ERA and allowed only one earned run in 18 2/3 innings last week. Relief aces Colin Bates and Brian Moran combined to allow just one run over 13 2/3 innings, while striking out 12. They went 1-0 with two saves over five combined appearances, and Moran and Bates have teamed up for a 7-3 record and eight saves over 49 outings.
• Nate Striz and Logan Munson also earned saves in the Maryland series and did not allow an earned run in five combined innings. Striz, who owns a 3.38 ERA in 21 1/3 innings this season, earned career save No. 3, while Munson, who sports a 3.00 ERA in 15 innings claimed his second save.
• Starters Alex White, who allowed four runs and struck out five in 6 2/3 innings Friday, and Adam Warren, who gave up two runs and matched a career high with nine strikeouts Sunday, were both victorious over the weekend and both rank among the seven winningest pitchers in Carolina history. Warren is tied for fourth all-time with 27 wins, while White is tied for sixth with 26 victories.
